Beautifully Deadly (NaLu)
by Starstruck-MJ
Summary: "Supposedly an entire kingdom disappeared when their queen went beyond the borders, remember?" When Natsu Dragneel leaves the kingdom to investigate mysterious disappearances, he finds a much bigger adventure than he was bargaining for, including a beautiful vampire hidden away in an ancient castle. "I'm sorry, Natsu, but I'm just so thirsty." (also available on AO3!)
1. Chapter 1

_'What were you?' he breathed, eyes fixed on the blonde beauty before him, 'before, I mean. What were you?' He added hastily._

 _She quickly masked a startled expression, and narrowed her eyes on him, 'I don't know what you mean.'_

 _But he saw. Behind those dark honey eyes, he saw the flicker of grief, pain and surprise. She turned away from him, golden hair shining with the starlight._

 _'I was always a monster.' She hissed._

 _He clutched his side, ground his teeth together and dragged himself from the ground. His other hand brushed pink bangs from his face, running through unkempt hair and over long horns. He steeled himself and spoke again,_

 _'No. I meant before you became a vampire. You can't fool a dragon's nose, you weren't born a human.'_

 _She froze, rigid, back still turned from him. He knew that she would hear his heart hammering in his chest, but it wasn't from fear. No, it was the anticipation._

 _He gripped his side tighter. Something red and sticky clung to his fingers. He could feel his vision blurring. He swayed backwards, once again leaning on the wall._

 _He was met by darkened honey eyes, burning red, invading his personal space. Had he the energy left, he would have startled. Her tongue wet her lips quickly. Sharpened fangs protruding her mouth. Those eyes burned a deep scarlet now, flitting between his wound and his jugular._

 _He swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing._

 _'Lucy...' he whined her name softly, feeling his consciousness slipping away._

 _Gentle hands held him upright. Before he fell back to the blackness, he heard her whisper,_

 _'I'm sorry, Natsu, but I'm just so thirsty.'_

* * *

 **1 month earlier**

He had been walking through the main town, heading to the stables, a pack on his back when he was stopped.

'Natsu!'

At the sound of his name being called, the young man turned around.

'What's this I hear about you goin' off on some adventure on your own?' the owner of the voice accused; a young man with raven hair and dark blue eyes.

Natsu grinned at him, holding up his hands in mock surrender,

'Alright, Frostbite, you caught me!'

The young man was Gray Fullbuster, Natsu's best friend, and at times, his biggest rival.

'Natsu, c'mon man.' Gray protested, 'if you're not telling where you plan on going, then it can only mean that you're going beyond the borders!' he waved his arms once, as though this would help get his point across. It failed however when his hand absently drifted to tug on his shirt.

Natsu sniggered, 'Nah, I could just be runnin' away!'

Grays' scowl deepened. He had now discarded his shirt, much to his friends' amusement.

'Natsu, you know how strict the King is about not leaving our borders, and for good reason, we don't know what's out there.'

Natsu straightened up now. He was planning an adventure, that was true. He was also planning on going beyond the borders. But he hadn't told anyone because he knew they would all try to stop him. So, in the dryest tone he could muster, he replied,

'Sure, it's not like we already got a nest of dragons, an ice devil, or a she-devil living here.'

Gray, the ice devil in question, was fiddling with the buckle on his pants.

'You got me there.' he admitted, 'but I still think you're being stupid, Flamebrain.'

Natsu shot an irritable look at his friend, snorting smoke at him,

'Ice Princess.'

'Pyro jerk'

'Icicle moron'

'Idiot.' Gray said flatly, 'Look, just, whatever your planning, don't do it. People have disappeared out there. Supposedly an entire kingdom vanished when their queen went beyond the borders, remember?'

Natsu stilled at that. He'd heard the rumours, sure, but it was different hearing it from Gray. His father was part of the royal guard and up until recently had been the captain.

'Silver still investigating that?'

'Yea, both him and Erza are.' Gray shrugged, 'She told me you were sneakin' off, by the way'

At that, a shiver ran up Natsu's spine. Although the woman had been their friend from childhood, she was ferociously scary and had sent both of them to the healer on several occasions.

'Ah. Right.' If Erza suspected him, then Natsu wouldn't have much time to start his impromptu trip. In truth, he had a hunch about these disappearances, and he intended to check it out himself. That would be difficult now though.

'And what's with the pack?' Gray asked with suspicion.

Natsu put on his best grin for his friend,

'it's just fish for Happy!' Which it was. He would need his beloved feline to stay quiet for his escape. But Gray didn't need to know that. Sheepishly rubbing his hair, he added,

'I kinda took it when the cook wasn't lookin'. Happy likes the good stuff.'

Gray sighed,

'So is that why Erza thinks you're up to something? You know you shouldn't even be in the King's kitchens.'

Natsu shrugged. He was hoping his friend bought it. It wasn't that he was lying to him, no he'd been completely honest so far, he was just missing out a few details.

A few big details.

He decided his chances of slipping away smoothly would be better if he left in the night. He turned back towards the stables,

'I'm heading to the barn now to feed him before I get caught.' he jabbed a thumb in the direction he was going, 'you stalking me there too, stripper?'

At the insult, Gray glanced at himself and swore under his breath. He was only wearing his undergarments, having shed his clothes during their conversation. Muttering to himself, he began to gather his clothes, shaking his head,

'Nah, I'll catch up to you later. Stupid habit..'

Natsu smirked, giving a brief wave as he strode away. He heard Gray shout after him once more,

'Don't do anything stupid!'

He waved behind himself, a shadow cast on his back.

* * *

Happy purred with delight when Natsu walked into the barn, rubbing himself on his masters' legs and meowing for attention. Natsu grinned and pet the blue feline on the head,

'Hey, buddy.'

He stopped by the cats' bowl, crouching down beside it, slinging his pack from his shoulder. He would need some fish to placate the cat later in the night, so pulled the smallest portion from his pack. Happy meowed louder, pouncing on the bowl.

Natsu chuckled, pet the feline again and straightened up. The barn was normally a pleasant hub of activity, being managed by the She-devil's popular and polite younger sister, another shapeshifter. However, in the quiet afternoon light, the barn was empty, save for the horses (including a unicorn and a couple pegasi) and Happy. Natsu knew which stall he looking for, clucking his tongue softly as he approached.

He was answered with a whinny and saw the head appear over the door.

'Hey boy..' He reached out to pet his horse, rubbing the large face.

The wooden nameplate on the door was carved with 'Atlas Flame', and there hadn't been a horse as well suited to his name as this one.

Flame was a large chestnut stallion, fire occasionally flicking among the long strands of his mane and standing over 17 hands high. His coat shone as bright and bold as any of Natsu's fire. He had once belonged to Natsu's Father, Igneel, but had been gifted to him when it was decided the spirited stallion suited him well. Flame usually didn't take kindly to anyone other than Igneel even approaching him, as strong-willed as he was. Yet Natsu with his care-free attitude had struck up a good bond with the horse, surprising everyone who knew the stallion.

'We've got a late ride out this time boy. I'm not sure when we'll be back.' Natsu spoke quietly, afraid of being caught in his plans, but took comfort in his sharpened senses telling him he was alone.

Flame snorted and nuzzled his shoulder. Natsu chuckled,

'I'll be sure to bring extra carrots.' He promised.

He unlatched the door and walked inside. He had wanted to check that Atlas Flame was still fit for the journey ahead. He ran his hands down the stallions' legs, checking the hooves, and then felt along his back.

Flame seemed to watch with amusement. Natsu was satisfied, patting him again, and reached the door. Flame snorted and returned to eating hay as Natsu left.

His next destination was the tack room, to do a quick once-over of his equipment.

Once he was done, Happy sat by the barn entrance, as though waiting for him, the sun beginning to set in the sky behind him.

'You coming back with me today buddy?'

In response, white wings sprouted from the cats' back.

He grinned again. Despite being Draconic, Natsu couldn't sprout his wings without feeling furious and subsequently setting fire to everything in his immediate vicinity. His horns were a different story. He just forgot to "put them away".

'You giving me a lift or just going to the roof?'

The answer to his question, it turned out, was the latter.

Natsu laughed and set off running for home in the dusk.

* * *

He had wanted to visit his Father before he left, He really had. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to leave easily. He knew they would be worried. He knew that they would come here to look for him, in his rustic home.

His house was on the same land as his fathers. It wouldn't be long before someone came to look for him. So, he hastily scribbled a note, explaining he would be back soon, he had a lead, and not to worry.

He left the note in his house, in plain sight, so it would be easy to find when they came looking. Then, he slipped out under cover of darkness to the stables, bade Happy farewell with a pile of fish, tacked up Atlas Flame and rode off into the night.

* * *

In the dead of the night, there was chaos.

The bells tolled, ringing out the alarm.

The titania, Erza Scarlet, rallied the royal guard.

A white-winged, blue-furred cat meowed and took off to the skies in the direction of his master.

Gray cursed from his house, muttering under his breath,

'That damned idiot!'

He watched knights running the streets, calling the urgent announcement,

'King Igneel's son is missing! Prince Natsu is gone!'


	2. chapter 2

She sang softly to herself, swimming in the pale moonlight. She was always careful to make sure she was alone when she sang because being a siren meant that anyone who heard would fall under her spell and drown.

She was not alone this night, however. So she sang quietly, away from the shore, so her companion would not hear her and then dove beneath the surface.

The companion watched from the rocky shore. She enjoyed Juvia's company and was used to the siren keeping her distance. Juvia would always sing on a full moon. She felt something within her, calling to be released with her song. She knew the risk of drowning someone if she was heard. So she sang on the full moon. When she could see the shore in the pale light, and anyone who may be caught under her spell. She hoped this way she would spare a life.

The companion mused and briefly wondered if the fishes would drown for Juvia, a smile tugging the corner of her lips.

The siren beached nearby, smiling gently. She took in the blondes appearance.

'You look pale.'

Her skin was paper white. Her golden hair limp, fluttering in the night, honey gold eyes sunken and ringed with shadows.

'when did you last feed, Lucy?'

The concern slipped into her voice. Lucy rose her head. She was concentrating on not watching Juvia's pulse. All she could see was Juvia's circulatory system, the blood flowing in her veins and arteries.

She wet lips and swallowed. She dragged her eyes back to her friend's face.

'I'm ok, honestly' she gave a taut smile, one not quite meeting her eyes, 'I'm just low on energy, that is all.'

Juvia rose a thin brow. When Lucy didn't react, Juvia raised her hand to touch Lucy's cheek.

'You're cold, Lucy.' She noticed the way Lucy's eyes darkened, the colour bleeding into red, 'aren't you thirsty?'

She gently offered her wrist.

Lucy visibly stiffened,

'Juvia, no. I… I can't. I fear the thirst will never fade.' She confessed. Gently, she pushed away the other woman's hand,

'I don't want to be this monster. I'll feed later, I promise'

Juvia felt a frown tug on her features. As she opened her mouth, the once clear sky darkened with clouds. The humans who passed by and saw her in these moments had a name for her.

They called her the Rain Woman.

Plips of water fell from the sky. Juvia glanced upwards. The moon was still visible, though partially obscured. In the distance, they heard a melancholic howl.

Lucy gave a light chuckle,

'I'm not sure he's so keen on rain. He must be worried about rust.'

Worries temporarily forgotten, they laughed together. The rain slowed to a stop. They couldn't see the moon now.

Lucy rose steadily to her feet,

'I need to go now Juvia. I will visit you again in a few nights'

Juvia remained silent. Her eyes, deep pools of blue, observed as Lucy walked away.

She was swaying unsteadily as she walked.

Juvia frowned now. That wasn't the only thing bothering her. Lucy's eyes were red as she left.

Just how long had it been since she fed?

* * *

Lucy staggered through the halls of the decrepit castle. She kept a hand on the wall to steady herself. All she could see was red. Her vision blurred around the edges. Her throat _burned_. Panting, she continued along the wall to the pantry and kitchen area. She had a stockpile there. She could make this pain stop. Make the burning go away.

Her hands trembled. She grasped at a glass bottle. A red liquid sloshed inside. She saw the red light of her own eyes reflected in the green glass. She gritted her teeth and swung the neck of the bottle against the stone wall.

With a loud smash, the glass shattered. She barely noticed the cuts that wept on her hand as she drew the broken bottle to her lips. Any other day, had she not been suffering bloodlust, she would have grimaced at the taste. But in this moment, the liquid was her nectar. She needed it. She gulped it down, tongue dashing between her fangs to guzzle the drink.

The bottle was soon empty. She remained still for a few moments, drawing in deep gulps of oxygen. She blinked a few times, clearing her head. She slid down the wall to sit on the cold hard floor. She sought her reflection in the glass, watching as the red glow faded from her eyes.

They used to be brown.

In a sudden surge of anguish, Lucy hurled the bottle at the wall. It shattered into pieces. She screwed her eyes shut and sobbed.

* * *

Natsu sat upright in Atlas Flames' saddle, easing the stallion to a steady trot. The excitement of the gallop had ignited the horses' mane and tail, and he chomped on the bit in his eagerness. Natsu sat steady, eyes surveying the vast area around him.

He could have sworn he heard a wolf in the distance. He knew a werewolf. Natsu just hoped his hunch was right. People had been disappearing. He was tired of doing nothing for his people. There had been a time when they could travel safely in small groups beyond the borders, to other lands. One of the last groups to leave before closing the borders had included two of Natsu's friends, escorting a few others.

Only one of his friends returned, no-one else. They had been attacked.

The man returned looking like a shadow of himself. His arm had been torn up, surely to leave scars. The man had reported to the King, with Natsu present, along with Erza representing the royal guard.

'It's no longer safe, your Highness. No one else can go beyond the borders.' He had told them in a gravelly voice, 'But I'm not stayin' here anymore. I have to look for her. It's my fault she's gone.'

Those were the words he left them with. He had said no more. He chose to leave the kingdom, living in his other form.

Natsu had wondered what happened, unwilling to ask the broken man what became of his beloved elf. Natsu had crossed his fingers that he'd be able to find him. A Dragons' nose was not an easy thing to trick. But unfortunately, neither was a wolfs nose.

The full moon still loomed above him, reminding him that his friend would be trapped behind the mind of a wolf until the dawn. The only person who had ever brought him back from that had been the same cunning Elf that stole his iron heart.

Currently, the Draconics' only clue about what had happened was that they were attacked by a cloaked figure. Natsu needed to find his friend, and get more information about the cloaked figure and what transpired.

Lost in thought, he continued to trot Flame on through the bare landscape. He barely noticed the rain clouds forming near the horizon.

* * *

King Igneel couldn't bring himself to remain seated upon his throne. He paced with worry, anxiety etched in his features. He wore the pained expression of a parent fearing the loss of his Son.

He should have known the headstrong prince would do something like this. He should have assigned guards to him personally. He should have watched him.

King Igneel's shoulders heaved a huge sigh. He felt defeated against an enemy he had no knowledge of.

He reached a hand up, pushing thick red hair off his face, reaching for the golden crown on his horns. He gently pulled it away and gazed at the shiny metal. His own solemn expression reflected back at him.

He knew of dangers beyond the border. He had seen them, a long time ago. He thought they lived in peaceful times now. He realised now, he had thought wrong.

His people and his kingdom had grown to despair. He needed to bring them something to look forward to. He had been trying to arrange such a thing to uplift their spirits.

He briefly wondered if Natsu had known his plans.

The old dragon sighed again, replacing his crown. For possibly the first time in his life, he was at a loss for what to do.

Did Natsu even know what he was doing? Perhaps, the old king mused, Natsu was tired of being unable to do anything for his people. He raised his head at the sound of the doors opening, seeing Captain Erza approach with her fiance.

'Captain.' he bowed his head to her, she bowed in return, fist on her chest, the man beside mirroring her. Igneels eyes drifted over to him, 'I see you've brought company. Jellal Fernandez, to what do I owe the pleasure?'

Jellal raised his head in acknowledgement. He had been an Angelic creature once, now he was somewhat of a recluse, a man previously bewitched by a Gorgons curse. He had been freed by the same Valkyrie to whom he was now engaged, but not without consequences. Gorgon's curses were hard to get hold of and harder to be rid of. Jellals' had left the intricate scar around his eye and two long scars down his back.

Erza spoke for him, 'Jellal may be able to help us.'

Jellal placed a hand on her shoulder and explained that during his cursed days, he may have learned something about the dangers they faced now. The problem was that he'd be required to go undercover.

Igneel knew that meant placing the man in danger, and judging by the look on her face, Erza knew this too. Hadn't the damaged man already faced enough trails in his life?

The King knew that Jellal was still trying to atone for his sins against the kingdom. It had been the curse's doing of course, but Jellal still carried the burden of guilt, that he had killed an innocent man. As an Angelic creature, the action had torn through his very soul, and denied his claim to be a true Angel. He should have been watching over lives.

Not ending them.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' The King looked sagely at the disgraced angel, allowing him the choice to walk away.

Erza glanced at the man beside her again, her expression unreadable. A silent conversation passed between them.

Jellal met the eyes of the old Dragon, blue hair partially covering the markings on his face.

'Please, allow me to do this for the people, my kingdom, Your Highness.'

How was he ever to deny such a heartfelt request?

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This one had moments where I struggled to find the right flow.**

 **I got everything I wanted to get into the chapter in here, although some of it was tricky!**

 **I've attempting foreshadowing here, can you spot anything that might lead to something later?**

 **Who is Natsu's friend that left, do you think?**

 **Thank you all very much for the support on the first chapter! I'm a little overwhelmed that it's been so well received :)**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter too, I'd love to hear your thoughts! I'm hoping to be able to update weekly, but work is getting busier, so that might be a stretch. But we'll see, eh.**


	3. Chapter 3

'Leo. Your Regulus always did shine the brightest, it makes it easier to find you'

Her eyes scanned the darkened sky above, mapping out the stars, the faintest ghost of a smile on her face as she found the constellation she was looking for. She was stood in what she supposed had once been a rooftop garden, at the top of the tower, hands crossed delicately on the stone wall.

'My most brave lion. Oh, Loke, you have no idea how much I miss you and the others so.' The smile faded. A pained frown fell across her features. She missed them. Truly, she did. The Zodiac were her most loyal companions within the household. She wondered what became of her old household.

Lucy could feel herself spiralling into her own mind. What of her kingdom? Her father? How long had seen been here? Like this? Would she ever see the sun again? It came as a shock to her that she could scarcely recall what it looked like.

She had spent so many of her days in the crumbling library, reading stories to remind herself what it had been like under the Sun, stretching out on the grass and catching the rays.

She read stories of brave knights, armour shining in the light. Of beasts and creatures, blessed by the Sun itself. She had read of how they were believed to embody the Sun's most raw elements, providing life, warmth and light, in many forms. That she found believable. She had seen living embodiments of the moon and stars, after all.

She had also witnessed Death.

She jolted away from the wall at that memory. That memory brought the other, unwanted, memories associated with it. She shook her head. Golden strands danced in the moonlight.

Lucy didn't want to remember. Not the man who took her life away. Who made her a monster. Who she ran from. He disgusted her.

She didn't want to remember. But the memories came anyway, reminding her of her escape, how she ended up here and who she met on the way.

She clutched at her head, screwing her eyes shut.

'Mom..' Whimpering, she sought solace instead in the memory of her mother. In happier times, she believed. Being told stories of the constellations, the spirits of the zodiac, the very same spirits who were loyal servants to her and her family. She missed feeling her magical link to them. The bond that allowed her to call them to her aid.

Magical energy.

She felt the bloodlust rising in her again, like bile up her throat. Her eyes darkened.

She hunched over, a hand now clawing at her throat, and sank to her knees. As she drew in a rasping breath, she felt sharp, elongating fangs scrape her lips.

She was thirsty.

Nearby, she could hear the same wolf howling as before.

* * *

Natsu clicked his tongue, encouraging Flame in a rhythmic trot. The stallion snorted. Natsu took it as a sign of the horse's unease.

'Yeah, me too buddy.' he murmured, giving Flame a reassuring pat. His ears flicked and he snorted again.

Natsu cast his eyes upwards. He'd long since lost track of how many hours he'd been riding. His father would surely be in a frenzy now. Erza would be commanding the royal guard in a search for him. Gray would be cursing himself for being unable to prevent his departure.

Natsu was glad of his and his steeds' flames at that moment. They had successfully burned the trail.

Now he just had to find a lonely wolf.

It was then he heard the howl. It was primal and filled with grief. It sounded close.

Natsu turned Flame in the direction of the sound. He felt how tense the animal had become beneath him. Atlas Flame had always been a fierce stallion. Yet, a metal studded wolf as large as he was and strong to boot was something he shied away from.

Natsu just hoped that as a pair they could hold their ground. Speed was in their favour after all. Even if the rugged terrain was not.

* * *

Lucy stumbled down the staircase. Her heart hammered beneath her breast, blood roaring through her ears. She panted and gasped.

She hadn't suffered Bloodlust this strongly for a long time. She needed to feel magic in her veins again, she needed to feel alive again.

Lucy felt as though she were drowning. The only colour she could see was red. It burned the edges of her vision. She wondered briefly how horrific she must appear at this moment. Her eyes would be glowing red, the severity of her condition slitting her pupils, and dark sinister shadows spread out around her eyes. She panted and her tongue brushed past her fangs to wet her lips. She lost count how many times she'd accidentally bitten herself in the beginning.

Lucy was heading to the pantry. She knew she wouldn't find what she needed there. She was staggering through the kitchen, vaguely aware of shattered glass beneath her feet.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her head. She hissed at the sensation. Cold sweat ran down her neck. Her head throbbed. She tried to scream. Her throat was too parched to make a sound. She clawed long nails at her neck. She was suffocating. The pain surged in her head. Stronger. Her legs gave way. Her vision failed her. She collapsed to the ground among the glass.

* * *

Natsu clucked the reluctant stallion forward. They carefully navigated sharp rocks and uneven ground. Natsu didn't favour his odds. He could see tracks. He could also see glints among the rocks. There must be an iron vein nearby. Natsu had to be on the right track.

His nose told him so.

His sensitive ears detected a low growling nearby. Too late, he realised it came from behind him.

'Shit!'

He whirled Flame on the spot. The horse rose onto hind legs, nostrils flaring and hooves flailing.

Before them loomed a gigantic black wolf. Studded piercings adorned his facial features, and were littered among his legs within his thick coat. His right foreleg was scarred, missing patches of hair.

But his eyes were certainly his most terrifying feature. They flashed an angry crimson.

'Gajeel!'

The wolf ignored the cry of his name. He lunged forward.

The stallion rose again, ears pinned back. Ignited hooves struck out. Natsu threw himself forward in the saddle, hoping to keep his partner balanced.

Gajeel tumbled behind them, smouldering ash on his shoulder. He snapped his teeth, snarling. The wolf pounced once more. Atlas Flame bucked defiantly as sharp claws struck his rump. But the wolf's grip held fast. Hooves slid on the gravelly surface.

Natsu swore. He hadn't expected Gajeel to be so out of control. He hung low over Flames' powerful neck. He gritted his teeth. He turned in the saddle, fire erupting from his fist.

Gajeel adjusted his jaw, trying to bite into the flesh. A shrill whinny rang through the air, and as Natsu turned, aiming his fist to swing at the wolf, Atlas Flame leapt upwards in a wild bronk and surged across the gravel, losing balance.

Both Natsu and Gajeel were thrown from the stallions' back. Free of his burden, the agile creature staggered only for a moment and galloped away from them.

Natsu felt the wind knocked from his lungs. He groaned loudly. He felt like he'd had a mountain dropped on him. A ferocious snarl snapped him back to his senses. Huge paws descended on him, and he clumsily rolled to the side. He narrowly avoided being crushed.

He wasn't so lucky as he thought. He'd been too slow. He felt it then. The sharp claw that had impaled his side. He felt it. And it hurt.

Impulsive fury took over him. He inhaled rapidly as carnivorous teeth flew toward his face and he roared. A jet stream of fire burst forth, hurling the wolf from him with a yelp.

Gajeel growled low, disgruntled, recovering his footing. The wolf in him decided the meal was not worth being burned for. He shook the embers from his fur before turning and loping away.

Natsu panted. He slumped onto his back, a hand on his side. The claw had torn his flesh as he'd roared fire at the wolf.

'Stupid metal head.'

Thanks to Gajeel, Natsu had now lost his steed. He grumbled unhappily.

'Bolt-for-brains. Dumb dog.' Natsu muttered insults until he felt he'd recovered his breath back. He pouted to himself. Now what?

He had found Gajeel, and that had not turned out in his favour. He needed to find somewhere to rest and re-evaluate his plans. He sat himself up, a hand on his side. The wound didn't feel quite so deep as he initially thought, but it was still going be a hindrance to him until it healed.

He absorbed his surroundings. He appeared to be perched on the side of a mountain, beside thick forested area. Nearby, he glanced over a stone-built structure. He was far from home, no doubt of that. Scanning his location, it took his eyes a moment to realise that the stone structure was part of what looked like an ancient castle. It was in mild disrepair, abandoned, he assumed. It wouldn't take too long for him to get to the entrance, even on foot. There surely had to be supplies remaining inside.

But first. He grimaced, raising his torn and and bodied shirt. The wound was certainly an eyesore. He steeled himself, carefully igniting his hand. Then, counting quickly to 3, Natsu pressed the fire to his flesh. He'd always hated the smell. He hissed through his teeth in painful discomfort. He knew he'd made messy work of it, but at least his injury was cauterised. For now anyway.

With that taken care of, he began his hike to the ruined structure.

* * *

The first thing he was aware as he entered through the groaning wooden doorway was the smell. The coppery scent that hit him firmly in the nose. A frown pulled down on his features. He tugged his white scaled scarf over his nose. It had been gifted to him by his father many a year ago, and he'd not parted with it ever since. Right now, it proved to be very effective in reducing the assault on his nose.

His curious nature had the better of him. He still held his injured side, not caring for the stains on his shirt or the way the damp material clung and stained his palm.

He followed the scent through winding hallways and corridors until he found himself in what appeared to be an old kitchen, including a pantry cupboard to his near side. His eyes fell to the scene before him. Glass, shattered everywhere, and splatters of blood. What had happened? And in the middle of it all, he saw her.

At first, he thought her a corpse. A shiver ran down his spine. She was laid on her back, pale gold hair spread out around her like a halo. She had always had a smooth, pale complexion, but now she was as white as snow, with dark rings around her eyes. It was when he heard a pained whine escape her, he realised with a start that she was in fact alive.

'Hey! Are you ok? What happened!' He rushed to her, scarf flying from his neck, discarded.

He knelt beside her. He looped an arm around her shoulders, raising her. His hand reached to brush the hair from her face. He grimaced at the red smear he left behind on her cheek. She was as cold as ice.

'Can you hear me?'

She began to stir in his hold. Relief flooded him, exhaling slowly.

Then her eyes snapped open. Her pupils burned crimson, slitted and stark against fathomless darkness. The image of them would be forever burned into Natsu's mind. A noise, halfway between a snarl and a hiss erupted from her mouth. Her sharp predatory teeth flashed in the pale light. She pounced, surging upwards. Even with draconic instincts, he was too slow to react. Fangs tore into the soft flesh of his throat, cutting into his arteries like knives.

Natsu gasped, emptying all air from his lungs. He felt paralysed, struck by lightning, his muscles frozen and rigid. His mind screamed. He heard a pleasant groan. The girl had a hand fisted in his hair, the other like a vice grip on his shoulder. Her mouth remained locked to his neck. She drank greedily and deeply from him. Natsu could feel his life force being drained away from him. He briefly thought her a starved and vicious animal. In panic, he desperately tried to channel his magic. A flame burst to life in his hand. But as she drank, his eyes widened in horror as the flame slowly shrank and at last died out. She hadn't even been aware, still lapping at his blood. His magical energy was being sapped away too. Natsu felt himself growing weaker. Her weight leaned heavily on him, and he crumpled over, falling onto his back, with her on top of him.

The thud as they hit ground jolted through the blonde girl. Her mouth released his neck with a wet popping noise. She blinked, her mind clearing away a heavy fog. The first thing that registered was that she felt warm. She rose upright slowly, unaware yet of the body she sat on.

Natsu barely noticed that she'd stopped drinking. His vision blurred at the edges. He tried to focus his attention on her. Now that the shock of being bitten faded, he found himself able to move again. He watched her carefully. It was like she was possessed a moment ago. What a weird vampire he'd discovered. He reached towards her, a hoarse sound escaping him.

She suddenly realised that she was, in fact, not alone. Her eyes locked with his. She screamed, scrabbling away from him. He visibly flinched at the noise.

'Why are you here!' she shrieked, pointing at him accusingly.

Natsu didn't answer her. His vision faded to black and his body went limp.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hello!

First of all, I'm so sorry this one took so long! It's been quite hectic in real life lately, working a lot of hours with it being festive season!

It's also been tricky to write this chapter because I struggled with how I wanted things to happen. I'm now planning out how this story will go in a more structured way, but still unsure how many chairs this will have total.

I promise I will finish this story, I'm fully committed, Haha.

And secondly, happy holidays everyone!

That's it,

See you next time :)

Ps. First a head's up;

Due to having issues using ff, new chapters will always be posted on ao3 first in future!

I genuinely just find our easier to work with, it doesn't delete my text formatting for a start (I'm looking at you ff!)

Apologies for any inconvenience!


	4. Chapter 4

A heavy sigh filled the air in the King's study. Igneel sat down at his desk, sinking into the plush leather chair, running his hands down his tired face. If ever there had been a Dragon carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, Igneel was him.

He narrowed his eyes on the communications lacrima on the oak desk. His call had not gone quite as expected. As for what he _had_ expected, well, he wasn't sure.

He was just painfully aware that his plans had to be put on hold for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, the receiving end of his call had been understanding for the most part. The wise old King suspected that they were growing impatient, however.

A frown was cast on his sharp features, he had been careful and meticulous in his arrangements. Perhaps something had missed his attention, whilst he had been preoccupied with the welfare of his people and the disappearances. Perhaps focusing on the disappearances and in turn trying to raise morale in the kingdom had driven him to rush his plans, maybe he'd been sloppy. Perhaps the young Prince had misunderstood his concerns.

 _Natsu_.

His Son was certainly headstrong and stubborn. Igneel knew that Natsu suffered as their people vanished and losing his friends had been the last straw. Igneel understood that. He just wasn't prepared for Natsu to abruptly leave and investigate alone.

A sharp rap on the door stole his attention. He cast his eyes towards the door, rumbling 'Come in' as he did.

The door creaked open, and a tall woman entered. She had long pale pink hair, almost white under direct light, worn up in a clip. Her sky blue eyes met his.

' _This is a pleasant surprise_ ' he thought to himself, sitting back in his chair.

'Grandeeney,' He warmly greeted her, 'What do I owe the pleasure?'

Her eyes creased at the sides in a half-smile, returning the greeting. She closed the door behind her, coming to sit in the chair opposite him before she exhaled softly, 'They're almost ready to head out.' She wrinkled her nose before continuing, 'except that Wendy thinks she can join them.'

The King was visibly taken aback, blinking in mild shock. But before he could open his mouth to respond, Grandeeney held up a hand and cut him off.

'She wants to use our sky magic to heal any who are injured. Yet she is still unable to protect herself with her power.' concern laced her features, unable to hide her worry for her daughter.

'She only wants to help, Grandeeney.' He told her gently, reaching a hand out to her. She let out a resigned sighed in response.

'I know. I am still unsure if she truly has my heritage, however.' She straightened her posture and met his stone grey eyes, 'You may not be of my blood, but you are my kin, Igneel. It is the same for Wendy and Natsu.'

He nodded in agreement.

'We should have Erza lead the knights out before the hour is done. Wendy shall have to remain here if she truly cannot defend herself yet.'

The wise woman did not miss the subtlety laced in his words. She held his gaze and gave a single nod.

She rose from her seat, 'I'll go inform the Titania.'

.

The Angel breathed deeply, slowly releasing his breath. He had a sullen face as he glowered ahead. This was a risk, he knew that, but it was the only lead he had.

Erza would not have approved had he told her, so as much as he hated keeping things from her, he had simply asked her trust him.

The building before him seemed hollow, buried deep into the Mikage forest. It stood stoic and imposing. He tugged the collar of his cloak closer to his face.

 _Avatar_.

They were searching for something… for someone. Jellal had a hunch about what exactly they were after. After all, the fallen angel had tried in vain to achieve the same goal. Jellal had done so out of arrogance, driven by a curse, yes, but still he had been aware of his actions and continued to bear his burden. What was Avatar's drive?

The Angel sought his power from deep within his core, welcoming the warmth that tingled and spread down his limbs. The red tattoo above his eye burned an angry red. His body glowed in a gentle heavenly light, no brighter than a star at dusk.

As quickly as he summoned the power he unleashed it, bursting forward at extraordinary speed, a trail of light in his wake. It was definitely quicker than walking.

Summoning all his courage, he landed and with faux confidence strode towards the door, allowing his magic to slip and exude only a fraction of his true power. The mark over his eye remained burning red. He threw the heavy iron doors open.

Weapons and spells were immediately trained on him. He wore a sinister smirk. Startled mutters and shouts echoed around him. Waving his hand easily across his body, all threats against him were dispelled. He scanned the various beings and guards littering the entrance hall, mentally noting that not all of them were magical.

'I hear there's a certain someone you're looking for' he dropped the bait.

Eyes narrowed on him suspiciously as they sensed his power. They grew instantly more wary of him. One spoke up 'I know you…'

Jellal raised his chin, easily reclaiming his old alias and keeping his introduction short, 'Siegrain'

.

Jellal found himself swiftly led through the halls by an Avatar member after his entrance, to where he would be awaited by a high ranking member. Word apparently travelled fast. He kept a mental note of where he walked, silently mapping the building as he went. He ended up being seated within a dark room, heavy curtains framed the large window, and only allowed a small fraction of light to enter.

Jellal often thought himself a good actor, he felt capable of wearing a mask to suit the situation. The 'mask' he chose on this occasion was that of 'Siegrain', the one most familiar with his crimes and sins.

He had not expected, however, to be met by a man dressed in heavy cloaks, shrouded in the shadows. The only part of the man he could see clearly was the ornate metallic mask covering his face. Jellal had a suspicion the cloaks covering the stranger were an imitation of some clergy wear.

This man sat before him was supposedly in charge, the leader. Jellal concluded they must be worshipping someone in particular to be so secluded. He was not sure he liked that.

The man began to speak, his voice sounded worn by time, yet demanded to be heard, 'Siegrain. What brought you here to Avatar? Perhaps you follow our cause?' There was no question in the man's voice. He wasn't asking.

Jellal maintained his composure, crossing one leg over the other, resting his cheek on his knuckles, feigning disinterest. 'Perhaps I might know your name first? It only seems fitting as you know mine.' He kept his voice smooth and inviting.

The man lifted his head, light glinting on the mask he wore, 'Very well. I am Arlock. Now tell me, Siegrain, What brought you here?'

Jellal leaned forward, a sly smile tugging the corners of his mouth. He had to remain in control. 'We share a common interest.'

'I see. We of Avatar wish to purge and cleanse sin. We seek his guidance.' He paused. Jellal felt his muscles tense in anticipation, 'And what of you, Siegrain? Did you not seek him in your Tower of Heaven?'

He had to maintain his composure. His back twitched involuntarily, remembering his wings' old reflexes. The scars burned. He barked out a laugh, 'My "Tower of Heaven" was a futile pursuit. I had already been cast from the heavens, of course. I found it fitting. I sought to create something new' He neglected the information that he was acting under the influence of a Gorgon's curse cast upon him, by the very same who exiled him for falling in love.

'A Valkyrie came to stop your experiment if I recall. What became of her after opposing you? The Titania, wasn't it? You clipped the wings of the mighty warrior.'

There it was. It was like ice in his veins. The words cut him like a knife. He felt his heart momentarily still. He felt sick. The way Arlock spoke, as though falsely praising him, mocking him, Jellal wanted to obliterate the man were he sat.

Instead, he grinned. He forced a harsh laugh, spreading his arms, 'The mighty Titania? She is a warrior no more! She was unworthy of bearing the bloodline of a Valkyrie!' His stomach churned violently at his words, silently shrieking his painful remorse for his sins.

 _Would he ever be worthy of her heart?_

He quashed his own emotions, the arrogant mask still affixed, 'She was in my way. So I destroyed her wings. She shall not be a threat to any future endeavours.' he scoffed.

A cruel smile formed on Arlocks' face, the motion causing the mask to shift slightly, 'It would seem we have much to discuss.'

.

The Titania herself stood in the courtyard of the Fire Dragon King's palace. Her red hair burned in the afternoon sun. Her mind swam with worry, concerned for her fiancé. She knew how powerful the angel was. They had crossed blades once, and she had barely triumphed, only at the cost of her greatest assets. She had not been quick enough to stop him from killing an innocent, however. The curse upon him at the time had corrupted his very soul.

She had mourned her wings for a long time. She had felt incomplete without them for what felt like an eternity. Her wings had been fierce, dark auburn in colour, adorned with silver cufflinks and feathers as sharp as swords. She had been quick. She flew as fast and nimble as a falcon.

She found her solace in her warrior skills. She had struggled with her balance once her wounds had healed. She adapted. She commissioned new armour to compensate for her new weight distribution. She regained her agility through swordsmanship.

The Titania was certainly every bit as formidable as she had ever been. Yet, on days when the sky was clear of clouds, she found herself yearning for the breeze beneath her wings.

She knew Jellal had caught her wistful gazes. How the fallen angel despaired over what he had done to her. She forgave him long ago. In her eyes, the price to save him had been worth it. He had never seen it that way.

His sins bore heavily on his conscience. She would never forget the day he acted on that guilt.

' _I have to atone, Erza_ '

He had cupped her face with a bloodied hand. His face was creased with pain, but he wore a smile. She sobbed. She found him there, after sensing his pain and following the trail. She had panicked when she saw all the blood surrounding him, _his back_.

' _It was the only way._ '

He had done it to himself. A clatter rang out as his limp hand dropped something. She would later learn it was a unique sword, with a blade forged of Engellium, called the Dai-Tenshi. It was the only weapon capable of killing an Angel.

She looked in horror at his mutilated wings. They lay discarded, the fluffy white down stained crimson. Once they had been elegant, large white wings, with long soft feathers that almost trailed the ground. Her heart clenched in agony. How pitiful they looked now. Her beloved smiled at her, even as his body trembled with agony.

His body had glowed faintly, like a light fading out. He fell unconscious as his life bled out around him.

She had immediately rushed him to the healers, Grandeeney and Porlyusica. There were none superior in medicine to the two of them, even as distantly related as they were. He had been lucky to survive, they had told her. His back was painted with lacerations. He still bore those scars today.

She shuddered at the memory. His wings she had lovingly gathered and laid to recover in a place sacred to her. She never told him.

She knew he would be safe. No weapon existed outside of the kingdom that could fatally wound him. Erza could feel her connection to him. Its' strength waned with the distance between them. She felt his guilt. Perhaps that was what dragged the old memories to the surface.

She had to focus on now. Her soldiers had been given the order to dispatch. She oversaw them now as they gathered provisions, sharpened weapons and reinforced defences. Her violet eyes were clear and sharp. She saw everything.

Erza glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

'Gray.' She greeted him warmly, acknowledging him as her old friend, rather than her soldier.

He nodded to her, fingers fumbling at the buttons of his shirt. His habit was made worse when he was anxious. She shot him a quizzical look.

'What are my orders for the mission?'

He looked at her firmly. Her mouth set to a firm line.

'Gray, you are needed here.' She wondered if he saw through her words. He was undeniably useful. He and Natsu were best friends after all, and he was strong. She felt the air drop in temperature around him.

Her worries were confirmed. The more Gray used his ice-devil heritage, the more it ate away at his soul. His father had retired from the royal guard due to the toll it had taken on him. Mika's death had been the last thing holding back the cursed heritage. The Nymph had always maintained a calm presence, her natural magic purifying her beloved husband and son.

Erza hoped that Gray's Nymph blood would learn to counteract his ice devil blood. She feared it was a losing battle. Especially now that his mentor had passed away too. His mentor had made sure to teach him how to utilise a more neutral form of ice magic, drawing power from the nature around him. But long would those teachings last now?

She expected Gray to argue with her, given his emotions leaking into his powers. Instead, he sighed, resigned.

'Fine,' He reached a hand to rub his head, throwing his removed shirt over his shoulder as he did, 'I'll get Ultear and Lyon.'

Erza looked away, back at the guards scattered in the courtyard. 'Mm. I will send them word.'

She pretended not to see how Gray flinched out the corner of her eye.

'Right' He mumbled and turned away, heading to leave, 'Make sure you find that fiery idiot in one piece.'

 _Especially if I don't find him first_. He uttered a silent apology.

.

Meanwhile, far away from the kingdom by now, a small blue feline glided through the sky. He could smell fish, and boy was he feeling hungry.

He had been flying intermittently for at least a day or two now, landing every so often when he felt tired. He had been snacking on bugs here and there when they took his fancy, but now the faint scent of fish had him drooling in excitement. Happy purred to himself, his initial reason for leaving the kingdom long forgotten in the face of his favourite food.

He flapped his wings, gaining altitude and followed his nose to what he hoped would be his next meal.

.

Elsewhere, a blonde vampire was screaming. Her heart hammered beneath her breast, one hand clutching at her chest, the other pointing accusingly at the man before her.

'Why are you here!' She screeched, pure terror filling her.

His eyes sluggishly met hers and he moved to reach for her, his movement leaden and slow. He blinked, the motion taking entirely too long, opening his mouth to speak. But no words ever came, he fell limp, his eyes rolling back into his head.

Lucy could feel herself trembling, her mind struggling to make sense of what had happened. The last thing she could remember was being in the roof garden. The fog surrounding her memories was slowly lifting. She could recall suffering Bloodlust. Dread crawled up her spine, like cold fingers creeping along her skin. She knew she'd passed out in this room.

Lucy swallowed. It became apparent to her that something wet and still warm dripped down her chin. Lucy hesitated. Holding her breath, she drew her outstretched hand to wipe her lips.

She shrieked. _Blood_.

Her eyes flew to the man laying completely still on the stone floor. She scrambled over to him, her eyes landing on the torn up flesh of his neck. Her heart pounded painfully. She knew the answer as soon as the silent question crossed her mind.

 _Did I do that?_

Lucy could feel the panic beginning to rise in her. Had she killed him? She studied his face, suddenly noticing the shock of pink hair on his head and the large horns nestled within the strands. She tentatively held her hand below his nose. She waited, tension holding her still.

She sighed in relief when she felt his warm breath over her hand. He was still alive. But what was she supposed to do with him now?

Lucy certainly had a lot of questions that needed answering. She couldn't risk letting him leave. Not that he could at this moment anyway. But how had he found her? What was he doing here?

Her face tugged into a frown. What if he was associated with the very person she had tried so long to hide herself from? Lucy shook her head. No, she couldn't risk it.

Juvia.

Juvia might know what to do with him. Lucy stifled a groan. Juvia's main lake was a half hour's walk from the decrepit building, she didn't think she could carry the unconscious man that far. That was if Juvia hadn't moved on to temporary new waters. Lucy didn't know how she had been out after her Bloodlust episode, Juvia may have already left to gather more resources by now.

Lucy gnawed on her still-bloody lip. There was one place that she could keep him. Moving carefully, Lucy lifted his arm around her shoulders moving herself to lift him up with her.

He released a small pained whine as she moved him. The scent of his blood drifted back to her again. She could feel her eyes shifting to a darker hue. Shaking her head, ignoring her instincts, she carried him to his new accommodation.

.

The chains clinked as the clasps locked around his wrist. Her gut twisted with guilt. He was carefully laid in the small cot. Her eyes flitted to his face. He looked uncomfortable.

Lucy dropped her gaze, her sights landing once again on the man's wounded neck. It took her longer to look away from it this time. She realised as she observed him that he had blood on his shirt.

It dawned on her then that he had arrived here injured. She cursed under her breath realising that she really had attacked him. She had finally drank from a living person. She felt her heart crack painfully, now her soul would surely be lost forever.

The vampire continued to examine the wound on his neck, her eyes shifting to a fierce, glowing red. Her body moved of its own accord, lulling her closer to him. Her face drew closer to him, her overwhelming need to ease his pain overtaking her. Her eyes darkened further, shadows forming around them. Inky black creeping in, her irises drowned, leaving only menacing, crimson slits behind. Hovering over him, her lips parted, inching closer to soothe the wound.

The man groaned. Immediately Lucy leapt back in embarrassment, gasping, her eyes reverting to honey gold. Heat filled her cheeks and she recomposed herself, turning on her heel in the direction of aid. She was certainly not going to _lick_ his torn flesh better, but the least she could do was clean it up and wrap him up.

...

A/N: Hello again! First of all, shout out to bmarvels and mannyegb ; Thank you both so much for Beta-reading this one for me and helping me out with it! And a huge thank you to The-Savior-Swan for your help when i got stuck with a paragraph!

Secondly, Im so sorry that this one took so long! But, of course, thank you all for your patience, and your lovely reviews 3 ! This chapter is longer than the last one, I'm working on getting more words into my chapters as they progress; Let me know you all think! Oh, and before i forget; the sword mentioned, its name means "archangel" in japanese, and I made up the name of the metal from "Engel" (hard 'G'), which is the old english word for Angel :) Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading (and hope you thought it was worth the wait!) See you in the next one.

PS. Just a quick vent, but by-heck, this website annoys me for uploading docs! :o


	5. Chapter 5

_**So Hi! Apparently, I do monthly updates now- shocking, right! First of all, compulsory shoutout to bmarvels & mannyegb for agreeing to Beta for me again! You are both Stars!**_

 _ **Secondly, Many thanks to all of you Lovelies for being patient, I hope this chapter was worth the wait! I'm really aiming to keep the word count near 3K if not higher. Let me know what you prefer! I also wanted to add that I am on Tumblr; follow Starstruck-MJ-writings for chapters & progress updates.**_

 _ **I'm trying to get the plot rolling now, so things should begin to pick up from here on out. As always, I am deeply humbled by all your lovely reviews ❤**_

 _ **Now, enough of me rambling. Let's get to the main event!**_

* * *

The forest surrounding Lucy's decrepit castle was vast and held many secrets. Deep within the wilderness, nestled in the woods was a path that none dared to tread, and even fewer knew existed.

If one knew what to look for, they would see the intricate runes littered through the trees, and surrounding Lucy's Castle.

They were carved into the bark, small, seemingly insignificant sigils. They came in all different shapes, all designed to trick the eye, making them incredibly difficult to locate. Even if one managed to find the runes, it would be very unlikely for the individual to stumble upon them to understand what they meant, for they were all written in ancient tongues, in rare and dead languages.

Had a certain wolf come across these mysterious runes, he would have been elatedly familiar and perhaps found exactly who created them.

The rune creator herself, a wise wood elf, had made sure she was difficult, nigh on impossible, to find. Her stave surrounded her sanctum perfectly. It had been after some thought that she had adapted the stave to help cover Lucy's location also. It had been difficult, meaning the castle remains were not completely hidden, but certainly more elusive of malicious, searching eyes.

The Elf had been quick to deduce that the strange blonde did not wish to be found. She had run away. The Elf was still pondering what the woman had run from. There were, of course, the disappearances. The Elf could not quite rule out Lucy's potential involvement, despite the woman's evident fear.

Sighing, she tucked a lock of blue hair behind her ear and reached for her research notes. Whilst she had been absent from her home and recovering her strength, she had been studying.

The Elf's name was Levy McGarden. She was separated from her Beloved Wolf and the people they had been escorting. Levy had been struck across the head before she could even react. It had slowed her reflexes, her vision blurred and saturated with her own blood. She faintly recalled trying to help some escape from the attacker. She didn't know how they'd all lost one another. She didn't even know if the others survived.

' _I wonder if Gajeel…_ ' her heart squeezed painfully in her chest, unable to finish her thought. Her mind drifted unbidden to the attack. The way Gajeel had transformed into the giant wolf she was so familiar with. The fury in his eyes.

' _Run_!' He had shrieked, desperate to keep her safe. He was already critically injured as she fled, his right forearm torn almost to shreds. She, of course, now had her own scar to bare. It stretched from her right temple, across her forehead, in the form of an ugly slash marring her porcelain skin.

She'd awoken days later, in a dark room, with the strange blonde woman beside her. Levy was still unsure what to think of Lucy, despite owing her life to her. Lucy had bandaged her up. The blonde seemed so _uncomfortable_ with Levy near her. Levy wondered what species the woman was, it had become quickly evident that she was not a mere human.

She flicked through her notes. Scanning over her theories on Lucy. The answer had to be here, among her observations. Levy could almost taste it, it was right there, dancing on the tip of her tongue.

' _Wouldn't approach when I cleaned my wound_ ',

' _stayed away from the windows_ ',

' _appears to be nocturnal_ ',

' _very intelligent, potentially dangerous, secretive._ '

The scrawled notes screamed at her off the paper, telling her she was missing something between the lines. Levy knew her stranger saviour had not been a mortal human.

She tapped her chin in thought, ' _Perhaps she can't walk in sunlight either…_ ' Suddenly, something clicked in her head. ' _If I run with this Hypothesis…_ '

She gasped, everything about the blonde making sense, 'She's a Vampire!'

.

Cold.

For the first time in his life, Natsu Dragneel felt truly cold. Sure, he'd been on the receiving end of Gray's ice before, but that had never left him feeling like this. At this moment, he felt as though the fire in his belly was diminished to just embers.

He felt so utterly _cold_. He groaned painfully, coughing as he rolled. His eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times before squinting to look around him. It was dark in the small room. He found himself to lying on a cot, his wounds delicately wrapped. Natsu grunted, raising his arm to rub the sleep from his eyes.

Only to find that his wrist was cuffed to the wall. Puzzled, he took this moment to examine his environment. The room he was in was small, but not unpleasant. The arched paned window allowed streams of dusklight through the old curtain drapes. The cot he found himself lying on was tucked snugly in the corner, his wrist chained to an old iron ring embedded on the wall, and the plain sheets were folded at his feet. His gaze drifted to the heavy wooden door. A well-aimed fireball would have that taken care of. That is, he suspected, if the metal cuff around his wrist wasn't magic sealing stone.

The Draconic whined in his throat, dropping his head back onto the cot. The motion sent a shock of pain shooting through his neck, a violent hiss escaping him. His fuzzy mind struggled to catch up to him, foggy memories being dragged to the surface.

He ran away. Gajeel attacked him, separating him from Atlas Flame. He stumbled upon the castle remains. Blood. The woman…

She _bit_ him.

Gingerly, he reached up to his neck, his calloused fingers coming into contact with bandages, ' _what?_ ' he frowned in confusion. Did she do this? A sudden idea tickled his mind, and turning his gaze towards his torso, he reached down and tugged up his shirt. His wound from Gajeel had been cleaned, though not bandaged, and he noticed the cauterised skin was barely holding him together. If he was too reckless again, he would surely reopen the injury.

His ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps. He bolted upright on the cot, wincing at his own sudden movement. He held his breath, preparing himself for whoever was coming to see him. The footsteps stopped in front of the wooden door.

He heard the latch click softly, surprised to learn that it wasn't locked. The hinges creaked in protest as the door opened slowly, soft candlelight trickling in from the hall.

She stepped carefully, and not without trepidation in his small room. He found himself taken aback at her appearance. Before, when he found her on the floor, she had been paler than death, dark shadows gathering around her eyes. Eyes that had flashed crimson, mad with hunger.

But as he looked at her now, undoubtedly the same woman, he found the breath leaving his lungs. Her golden tresses tumbled down to her waist, framing her heart-shaped face perfectly. She looked so alive, he thought, with the warmth in her cheeks, _she was glowing_. Her eyes were the colour of honey, warm and soft when they met his. She froze, her eyes widening a fraction, more colour flushing her face.

He watched her silently, her eyes darting away from him to the fading sunlight on the floor then back to him. Her mouth opened, tiny sharp points glinting as she did, reminding him to stay cautious.

'I… I apologise for attacking you before.' She briefly glanced away, guilt flashing in her eyes. 'I was not myself. I came to check on you, you have slept for a long time.' She resisted the nervous urge to chew her lip.

Natsu cocked his head as he regarded her. For how vicious she had appeared before, she seemed genuinely apologetic now and concerned for him. Despite himself, a grin broke out across his face. He couldn't help it. Attacking someone then taking care of them? She was such a…

'Weirdo.'

Her mouth opened in protest, and he cackled at the indignant pout on her face. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy teasing her, should he be staying for longer. He held up his hands in a surrender motion, feeling more at ease with with the unusual woman. He met her eyes again with an easy smile, 'Thanks for patching me up! But' he hesitantly reached for bandage around his neck, 'What exactly did you do to me?'

He held no malice towards her. Who was he to judge someone for losing control of themselves, after all? He still held some suspicion, but it was waning the longer she stood by the door. At his question, she flushed deeply, in embarrassment or shame, neither could tell.

'I… I am not entirely sure myself, to be honest.' The admission came softly, sadly, 'I deeply regret that I bit you. I didn't mean to drink so much.' she sighed, 'well, drink at all, really.'

He quirked an eyebrow at her, gears ticking in his head. 'You're a Vampire?'

She visibly flinched at the word and a muscle in her jaw twitched. She nodded stiffly.

Natsu bit into his tongue to stop himself blurting more questions. Whilst it wasn't typically characteristic of him to think before speaking, every cell of his new companion screamed that she was uncomfortable, and being still chained made it very much against his favour to upset her.

He did need a few more answers, however. 'Can you unchain me? The sealing stone is restricting my magic.' He explained, raising his wrist.

Her gaze snapped back to him. She was frowning, confusion drawn across her features.

'Sealing stone? I don't have any of that here.' She glanced at the light on the floor again, taking a hesitant step forward around it.

Natsu was frowning in return, if it wasn't sealing stone, then why couldn't he use his fire? Why did it feel like he only had ash in his mouth? He stared at her as she sat perched on the foot of the cot.

She cleared her throat, 'What's your magic?' she wanted to be direct with him.

He gestured to the horns protruding through his hair, 'Fire. I'm Draconic.' as if to prove a point, he attempted to create a flame in the palm of his hand, producing nothing but a brief spark. He grunted in frustration.

A chill ran through him again, reminding him of his diminishing embers. The woman was watching him thoughtfully. Something was niggling at her, from the corner of her mind. When she drank from him… the first thing she became aware of…

'... I was warm.' she breathed.

Sharp draconic ears twitched. He sensed a deeper meaning to her words. He was anxious to learn more. But before he could ask, she had scrambled to her feet, reaching for the door and fleeing without a word.

The words died in his throat, a long sigh escaping him instead. He allowed himself, more carefully this time, to fall back onto the cot again.

It would be quite a while later that he realised he hadn't even got her name.

.

Lucy all but fled the room, leaving the Draconic man behind. Her heart was pounding in her chest, adrenaline spiking and causing her hands to quake. She moved briskly through the stone halls, not knowing where her feet were taking her, but just needing to be moving _somewhere_.

She gnawed her lip, her mind whirling as she marched. In her distraction, she failed to notice the soft glittering sparks pulsing to life beneath her feet with every step. Nor did she notice how the candle flames leaned towards her presence as she passed.

The vampire only grew aware that she had been wandering a while when she passed an open window, and belatedly startled, only to realise that the daylight had gone. She paused, gazing into the darkening hues across the sky. Her heart throbbed painfully.

She shook her head, golden strands dancing glitter around her. She felt overwhelmed. She needed fresh air. Lucy gathered her skirts, setting off in a run. She knew where she was heading this time. Her feet pounded against the stone steps, before she burst through the old hatchet, into the former rooftop garden.

Her train of thoughts began to run away from her once she was in her safe space. She was trying so hard. So hard to accept that she had drank from the strange man. She had never drank from someone before. She didn't know what affects it had on someone, or what she was capable of in this form.

Lucy wrapped her arms around herself. More glittering dust fell from her movements. She was trembling, honey gold eyes staring into nothing.

' _Did I… drink away his magic?_ '

Her head shook violently at the thought. Surely that wasn't possible? But then, she was unable to recall that last time she felt any warmth, prior to biting the man.

Lucy fought to think rationally. Before the… _Incident_ , as she'd decided to dub it, she had collapsed from bloodlust. She always hated how much the hunger affected her. In the fuzzy recesses of her mind, she remembered that she could smell blood right as she came to. The warm, spicy taste of his blood on her tongue danced in her mind, and she blushed vehemently. It had felt like being in a trance.

He couldn't make a fire now though. She'd watched him involuntarily shivering in that room. He was cold. What had she done to him? Had she drained his life energy too?

She certainly felt more alive. And, now that she took notice, she felt a strange tingle brimming just underneath her skin. Frowning she outstretched her hand in front of her, scrutinising the soft flesh. Nothing seemed unusual.

Lucy released a sigh, some tension leaving her shoulders. More than ever, she wished to be able to consult with her most dear and loyal companions. As old as time, and just as wise, the constellation spirits were contractually linked to her bloodline and she missed them terribly.

Even Leo, the playboy Lion spirit, who loved to flirt but ultimately was always willing to lend a listening ear and rare sage advice. She longed for that kind of advice right now.

In sudden swirl of glitter, she subsequently recognised to be stardust, a bright light flashed before her, forcing her to shield her eyes as she heard a faint bell chime. She blinked a few times, her arm slowly lowering as the dust settled.

She gasped in astonishment, gawking at the figure before her. Cat ears stood proudly in a mane of wild orange hair. The owner of that hair stood up straight from a bow, an easy, confident smile on his face.

The smile broadened into a grin, bursting with delight as Lucy pointed, ungracefully spluttering.

'Loke?!' She had to be hallucinating. He couldn't be here. It wasn't possible. She had tried so hard to summon him, summon any of them, when she had escaped her captor. She had never succeeded. She had not even been able to feel her bond to them. She understood a long time ago that she had no magic in this accursed form.

Now though, her mind reeling, she realised with utmost certainty that she had drained the pink-haired Draconic of his own magical energy.

The lion spirit regarded her with fond amusement. He found himself unable to stop grinning, his pointed ears twitching happily. 'Hello, Beautiful.'

It had always been his favourite way to greet her and it filled him with a strong wave of nostalgia to be using it again.

'It's really you.' She breathed, recovering herself, her eyes wide and locked onto the spirit. She leapt forward, throwing her arms around him before she knew what she was doing.

He laughed, happily wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. 'I missed you too.' He smiled down at her, 'Now, do you mind telling me exactly where you have summoned me to?' He asked, moving his head to assess their surroundings.

She met his hazel eyes, 'I tried to reach you for so long. All of you. How did you finally find me?'

'You called me here. None of us could feel your bond for so long. But we could still feel you in this realm, we knew you were out here.' Loke's expression sobered, 'What did he do to you, Lucy?'

She hesitated, pointed teeth chewing on her lower lip. Loke's sharp eyes caught the movement. 'I'm… not the same as before.' She answered quietly. He accepted that as answer enough.

He nodded, turning to look at something in the distance. 'We can talk more next time. Whatever you did, it flared your magic. If you can do it again, we are only a call away.' He folded an arm across his chest, bowing his head towards her. 'Your magical energy is waning, I can't stay much longer. But, I am curious about that blue creature.'

Thoughts of protesting quickly abandoned her, a curious, confused frown on her face as she turned her attention behind her.

A winged blue creature flew towards them. She squinted, and as it neared them, she saw that it was in fact a flying blue cat.

A soggy, flying blue cat.

Loke chuckled to himself, musing, 'Why do cats always see my ears and think I'll understand them.'

Felines had always flocked to the lion spirit after all. This blue one mewled loudly as he approached, soaring to land perfectly atop Loke's orange hair. Lucy suppressed a giggle at the sight.

The spirit grimaced, 'Ok, this kitty hates water just as much as any other,' he gestured to himself, 'As much as I'd love to stay, my time's up.'

Lucy held his solemn gaze as he began to fade, light filtering around him in shimmers. With one last, 'Call me when you need me' He vanished into a burst of stardust.

The blue cat yowled unhappily as it landed on the ground. Lucy crouched down before the sodden feline, offering a hand to him. Large eyes studied her for a moment, then his fluffy white wings sparkled and they too vanished, and he trotted towards her, purring gleefully.

Lucy smiled, petting his head.

'Let's get you dried off.'

.

Back in her hideaway, Levy bound her research notes together, and unceremoniously shoved them into her satchel. She had been away from the kingdom for long enough.

It was time to return home.

* * *

 _ **Review shoutouts! to: KatanaNoNeko, YunaYue, Densolator, Aliciacevbra, & NaluGrey**_

 _ **Thank you!**_


	6. Chapter 6

There are certain beings within this universe that choose to remain anonymous. Some have existed as long as time and fallen to obscurity.

One individual prefers to be this way, it makes his work much easier. It helps him avoid awkward situations. Before, when his existence had been caught wind of, he found himself approached with requests about fate. Some asked when their time would be, others asked what the cost would be to avoid ever meeting him again.

They called him Death. He was the very first Reaper. He had a name, reserved only for the few that truly piqued his interest. One such in particular was a blonde woman, tainted by a cursed existence which should not have been hers to bear. She had not sensed what he was, or maybe she just did not care.

He had been perplexed by her. His dark onyx eyes had observed her with curiosity. She had been in a rush, he had dryly joked 'in a rush to meet your death'. The woman had held his gaze with honey gold eyes, and for an instant, he felt that desire in her. That desire to _escape_.

So, he gave her aid. He pointed her in the direction of shelter. Offered her… _provisions_ of a certain kind. She reluctantly accepted, though never asked where he had gotten them.

Now, he wondered how she was, his mind absently wandering. He had not felt the tug of her soul, beckoning him to take her to the other side. Perhaps she would still be in her shelter.

How long would she survive without feeding, he wondered. Would she ever truly understand what this fate was that had fallen upon her?

He recalled their last meeting, unbidden. She had stood before him, her fists trembling at her sides. Her eyes bleeding crimson, drowning in darkened shadows. She was desperate.

'Please.'

He understood what she was asking. He reached into his dark robes, presenting a pail to her. She took it with greedy hands.

'You should follow your heart' his advice slipped out. She reminded him of another blonde he had known, so very long ago. The deep recesses of his heart ached at the sorrow and pain on her features. He could at least offer her some salvation. He decided then, as she met his gaze unafraid, to gift her his name.

'You can call me Zeref.'

.

Lucy began to descend the stairwell, intending to get a basin of clean water for the blue feline. The cat himself purred happily in her arms and rubbing his wet fur against her. She wrinkled her nose.

'Just what kind of trouble did you get yourself into before finding me?' She asked. He meowed at her again and raised his paw to lick it clean. He smelled _bad_. The odour from his cerulean fur was like putrid fish and pond-weed.

Lucy hoped that she still had some of her good soap leaves left over to cleanse his stench. She really did have to ponder what he had done to find himself so damp and smelly.

The small blue cat, however, was already plotting his next escapade with the strange fish lady.

.

Juvia, meanwhile, was not having such a good evening.

She had only returned to her waters the day prior, and the weather had been most unpleasant, though for once that was not by her doing. The dusklight earlier had been irresistible as it shone on the lake's surface. She had indulged herself, lazily paddling and creating ripples across the surface, flicking her tail languidly to create waves. She had sighed, closing her eyes and floating through the water.

What she had not expected, however, was the almighty chomp of teeth on her teal-scaled tail. She had squawked her displeasure, her leisurely swim disrupted. Her eyes snapped open as her torso dropped below the surface, her perfect balance ruined. Her tail flailed ungracefully above water, the biter temporarily dislodged. She glared, bursting above the surface once more to give the _cretin_ a piece of her mind!

She whipped her head around, azure locks flicking over her shoulder. She had heard what she swore was giggling above her. Her head snapped up. A blue-furred cat floated on fluffy white wings, he held paws over his mouth, his eyes were wide and watching her like she was his next meal.

'I am not dinner!' She exclaimed, her face burning red with anger. She yelped when the cat flew at her again with his mouth wide. The mermaid had ducked, and eyes flashing blue, heaved her tail, and hurled an enormous portion of water towards the cat instead.

That had been that. Her assailant had yowled his displeasure and shook out his wings before hissing and fleeing.

Now, Juvia remained sour-faced, floating on her back. There was a large crescent shape left behind on her otherwise pristine scales.

She sighed, still frustrated about having her pleasant night disrupted. Gazing at the darkening sky, she could see the waning crescent moon. Although not a full moon, it still entranced her. She felt eased into calmness and opened her mouth to sing.

Singing was always her solace when she felt upset. Tonight was no different.

Further away, unbeknown to Juvia, a man had caught a glimpse of blue descending the sky and grinned to himself. He _had_ to be on the right track. He continued his course in the direction of the lake, frost crackling underfoot.

.

The Fire Dragon King was observing the Titania at work. He couldn't decide if he was watching meticulous planning or organised chaos unfold before him. But the distress on the Valkyries' face was clear.

Gray had flown the coop. A day or two ago in fact. All of her plans had been thrown into disarray and she needed to reconvene. As such, her troops were stuck in limbo.

Erza had needed him _here_. Sure, part of it was to stop his magic destabilising further. But his command over ice would have been essential to protect the kingdom. She had to change her plans.

As such, before her stood Lyon Vastia and Ultear Milkovich. They were both close with Gray; Lyon had been apprenticed to Ur alongside him and Ultear was Ur's daughter. As such, the 3 of them were like family. They had certainly mourned for Ur together.

Erza studied the two of them carefully. Like Gray, they were gifted with the Ice Element. Lyon was a Yeti, his mop of snowy white hair and piercing eyes giving him away, despite using his magic to appear human-shaped. His ice magic worked with nature itself, allowing him to form ice that looked like other creatures and behaved as though alive. He had sought Ur out to train him to be stronger when he was just a small boy.

Her violet orbs drifted over to Ultear, who stood with a shoulder towards the Red-head. Her skin was pale, white enough to camouflage her with snow, if not for her ebony dark hair.

She was a rare creature known as a Yuki-Onna, a Snow Girl. She was usually a recluse, often omitting her presence at the castle in favour of the written word. She had always had a strong affinity with the Ice Element, her mother had been a Khione, daughter to the North Wind, and Deity of Snow.

Ultear's state of being was partially her inheritance of the ice element but she ultimately had her awakening as a Yuki-Onna after almost losing her life to the cold. As a young child, she had been foolish, venturing out into a snowstorm and had fallen dreadfully ill. Ur had used her powers, smiling as she accepted this fate, and taken the cold threatening her daughters' life into her own body.

Ultear would always remember the dark-haired man, how he smiled gently at her, his presence ethereal, time stopping all around them both. The way his onyx eyes met her sadly, _she was so young_.

Then suddenly he was fading from view, time sluggishly restarting around her. He smiled at her again, this time with warmth. He turned away from her, leaving her _arc of time_ as a parting gift.

She regained consciousness soon after to Ur's loving smile, brushing the hair from her face. She understood years later her mother's sacrifice. By taking that cold into her body, it had slowly begun to freeze her from the inside. It seemed ironic, Ultear thought, that her mother was killed by the same element that she had mastered.

Her piercing crimson eyes opened, and she turned to face the armour-clad Valkyrie regarding her. She held the woman in high mutual respect and currently shared her irritation with a certain ice demon.

Ultear, temporarily foregoing her irritation, decided to get to the point, 'What do you need me to do, Titania?'

Erza nodded, silently agreeing they could get mad at Gray later. 'I normally wouldn't ask this of you, Ultear. I know how you prefer your solitude, and your charms have always proved invaluable. But right now, I need you as close to the perimeter as possible. You have mastery over ice that we have not known since Ur was still with us. I need you to build ice walls if you see any hostiles approaching, and if you have to, freeze them with your ice, or Arc of Time. Just keep them out.' Erza instructed and Ultear thought for a moment, before nodding once.

Erza turned to the sullen Yeti beside the Yuki-Onna. 'Lyon.' He made a noise, signalling she had his attention.

'Your frozen beasts are perfect for patrolling. Keep them divided if you can manage, but position some at the weak points of the border, and reserve some for the palace.'

'Yes, Captain.' He said in a low voice and she dismissed them both with a smile of thanks.

Igneel still remained atop the stairs overlooking the exchange, his hands clasped behind his back. Deep lines of worry were drawn across his face. His ears twitched when he heard heavy footfalls approaching.

His features relaxed into a smirk, 'Metallicana, It's not very often you join me up here.' He turned towards his companion, holding out a hand in greeting.

Metallicana boomed a short laugh, clasping his hand warmly and slapping his shoulder. The man was decked out in studded leather, with several piercings adoring his features. He had salt-and-pepper coloured hair, which pointed wildly in several directions. He was a Dragon, similar to Igneel, but unlike him, Metallicana was not a pureblood nor a Drake.

'Igneel! I wanted to make sure you were keeping busy!' His voice was gravelly as he spoke, 'I did wonder if you had any updates about my Son.' he finished in a quieter voice.

Gajeel was still considered part of the nest, even though he had taken his Mother's wolf heritage. The draconic blood in him was still prevalent in his unusual diet of raw iron.

Metallicana missed him dreadfully. He had also come to speak to Igneel to offer words of empathy. After all, Natsu had gone now too.

The Fire Dragon King sighed heavily. 'I'm afraid not, old friend. I suppose Natsu wanted to go after him.'

The iron-studded man closed his eyes and sighed softly, musing. He squeezed Igneel's shoulder in his hand and opened his eyes again to meet his gaze.

'I am sure they'll return when they're ready. Though, that may take longer than either of us hope.'

Igneel nodded. They had to believe that.

His attention was stolen by insistent, frustrated mewling. He titled his head, searching for the cause of the noise. Metallicana raised a studded eyebrow, his features perplexed and leaned sideways to peer around the King.

A small white cat was hissing furiously, spitting and screeching as she leapt around one of the wagons. She batted and slashed her claws on the tarpaulin covering the cart.

Igneel watched the cat with knowing eyes, a feeling of conflict bubbling in his chest. He didn't have long to ponder though, as Metallicana asked 'Isn't that Carla?' rubbing his chin, 'She's always with Grandeeny's daughter, Wendy, right?'

Igneel rumbled a 'Yes', under his breath, already moving to step towards the irritated cat. Carla was still hissing vehemently when Igneel reached her. The snowy cat startled, fluffy wings bursting from her back and she leapt upwards, turning to face him as she did.

Carla meowed loudly in his face and fluttered down, rubbing herself along his leg. He crouched to scratch her gently behind her ear, he flicked his gaze upwards to the cart.

'You can come out now, Wendy.'

A small whine came from the back of the wagon and the tarpaulin shifted slightly. Shocking blue hair framed her face, large chocolate coloured eyes looking owlishly out at him. Carla yowled indignantly, Wendy raising a hand apologetically, silently begging her to be quiet.

Igneel kept his voice low, hoping to soothe the girl, 'Your mother would be worried if she knew you were out here. She's making medical drafts with your Aunt Porlyusica. Why don't you go find her? I'm sure they could use your help.'

She gnawed on her lower lip, briefly averting her gaze and glancing back at him, nodding shyly. He offered her his hand, helping her out the wagon.

The iron dragon watched with bemusement, catching the young girl's eye when she was back on solid ground, chuckling as she flushed with embarrassment and jogged towards the castle, Carla hot on her heels.

'She's certainly free-spirited.' Metallicana chuckled, his eyes following her retreating form. 'But then, Wyverns always are.'

Igneel cocked his head at the other man, and with a half-shrug responded with

'They're both still Draconic, and as such valuable to the nest' he smiled and gestured towards Erza. 'I need to speak with her, but I shall meet you in the study after.'

Metallicana returned his smile, and with a nod and wave, he returned to the castle.

Igneel breathed deep, his attention turning towards the Valkyrie. He wanted to know her plan of action, and gift to her the lacrima he'd been holding onto.

It was a simplified communication lacrima, part of a pair, and could not be detected by other lacrimas of the same variety. The pair specialised in exchanging data on the others' environments and the respective holder's thoughts and feelings, including magic energy transfers. Essentially, Igneel could scout and aid them from the castle.

He approached her and cleared his throat.

.

Elsewhere, Jellal was becoming anxious. He was sealed in a guest room at Avatar, and whilst he'd been told he could move freely, he knew that wasn't the case. His magic was pulsating within him, fluctuating with his temperament, and purposefully reminding those nearby of his power.

It was also acting as a sonar, alerting him who was in close proximity. He needed to concentrate. Jellal Perched himself on the bed, elbows on his knees, resting his chin behind interlaced fingers. He sought out the bond between him and Erza, the one created when he first began to watch over her as a guide; the same magical bond that altered dramatically when the two of them became lovers. It was like feeling along an invisible thread, and gazing through a keyhole at the other side. He could sense her alertness. Igneel had gifted her something, he noted, feeling the orb shape in her hands. She was tilting her head now, feeling him tugging on that thread. He could see her in his mind's eye, fuzzy, but becoming clearer the more he focused on her.

Her beautiful scarlet hair whipped around her face, her sharp eyes scanning her immediate vicinity. He could have gazed into those pools of violet until the end of his days if she'd have only let him. Those eyes settled, seemingly meeting his own.

The Angel smiled softly at her, his fingers unconsciously moved to stroke her cheek, as if he were truly with her. Her own usually stern expression softened, his name falling from her lips.

' _I don't have much time. You can find our location here_.'

He had always found this method of communication unusual. It wasn't quite telepathy. It was something akin to a data transfer, he supposed. He made sure she knew his location, how he'd found it and even the coordinates he'd memorised earlier.

Suddenly, his magic spiked violently. His image of her face rippled. She nodded in understanding. He wanted to reach for her. She knew. Instead, he simply whispered ' _I love you_ ' and abruptly severed their connection.

Mentally realigning himself always felt like awakening from a dream. It was disorienting to say the least. But Jellal was used to the strange sensation. His magic demanded attention for more urgent matters.

His cyan coloured eyes snapped open and swept to the door. His magic was reacting furiously. Someone was approaching. He tilted his head back, sitting up and straightening his shoulders. His eyes narrowed. He urged his magic into a calmer state. He allowed it to still spill from his person, as though it was lurking just beneath the surface.

Jellal could sense the approaching hostility. It seemed he'd failed to avoid raising suspicion. There was a knock on the door.

* * *

 _ **AN: Hello! so this chapter ended up being cut a bit short- just because there was too much I wanted to cram in and ended up deciding (to avoid waffling in this chapter!) that all the other things can wait until later. Thanks to that, this chapter is a little bit shorter than the last one! I hope you all still enjoy, and let me know what you think!**_

 _ **As always, shout out to my Betas mannyegb and bmarvels !**_

* * *

 _Review shoutouts! to: KatanaNoNeko, NaluGrey, KJacket, YunaYue, takeagamble27, MadisonMikazuki, Delightfulxxx, ChaosreigN_

 _Thank you!_


	7. Chapter 7

Jellal felt grim. He was following Arlock and a few others down a darkened stairwell. They were taking him to "view their progress". He wasn't sure what that meant, but he felt it in his gut that it was not a good thing. The Angel could still sense the wariness and suspicion of those around him and he ground his teeth in frustration, he had to remain in power of this situation.

His magic thrummed beneath his skin, as it had during the entirety of his stay here. It flexed and crackled like a live wire, ready to zap any who dared to come too close. He kept it that way, alive and ready to strike. He made sure that those around him could sense it. Heavenly magic was certainly a force to be reckoned with, after all.

Arlock in particular kept his attention on him, Jellal was all too painfully aware. Still, he followed him silently. Jellal narrowed his eyes at the iron door before him. He turned his gaze towards Arlock. Beneath the unusual mask adorning his face, he smirked and side stepped Jellal, gesturing towards the door, 'Siegrain' he inclined his head.

Jellal felt wary. Hesitating for a fraction of a second, he stepped forward, his hand grasping the cold door knob and opening it.

The Angel had always been an expert at concealing his own feelings, a professional actor. He would later be glad of this skill set, but he was currently struggling to retain his composure.

As an Angel, one of his powers was being empathetic to the emotions of souls. It allowed his kind to assist all manner of creatures and guide them.

However, as soon as he opened that door, he felt assaulted by the anguished cries of suffering souls. It took every fibre of his being to not rush to their aid, to fight his instincts.

The only physical reaction to come from him was a sharp exhale of a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding.

The door opened to a long, white corridor. Either side was lined with cell doors. Moans of pain, distraught sobbing, confused screams… Jellal could hear it all. He stiffly turned to regard Arlock.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he finally registered exactly _what_ Arlock was, and briefly wondered how he hadn't noticed sooner.

Arlock's mask glinted in the light. Saying nothing, he strode past Jellal down the corridor. Jellal followed like a shadow.

They stopped in front of a cell door and he noted that it even had a barred viewing window, through which he saw a trembling figure chained to the wall.

Arlock reached into his cloak, withdrawing a key and unlocking the cell. Jellal, meanwhile, observed carefully, newly aware that Arlock was a Golem. A Golem without a master, apparently.

'Siegrain. I'd like you to assist with it.' he pointed at the figure in the cell, 'Take the chains and bring her with us.'

.

The blue cat yowled unhappily and squirmed against Lucy's gentle grip, his sharp claws skittering across the smooth granite surface. She gnawed on her lower lip, careful not to puncture herself with her fangs as she had done many times previous, muttering to the damp cat.

She'd been somewhat successful bathing him, but now she found herself struggling to dry him off with a towel.

'You can't run off still dripping wet,' she scolded softly, 'you might catch cold!' the cat glared at her indignantly. He hissed with vehemence and leapt from the counter, fleeing the washroom in a flash.

Lucy sighed. She wiped her hands dry on the towel and left to pursue the blue feline.

.

Meanwhile, still chained to the wall, locked in the small chamber, Natsu was growing frustrated. He sat cross-legged on the cot, cupping his palms together. He scowled intensely, concentrating all his magical energy into the empty space between his hands.

A growl rumbled in his chest. He was deeply focused, seeking out the fire in his belly. He exhaled slowly, wisps of smoke pouring from his mouth. He felt the warmth trickling through his veins, albeit sluggishly, lightning him up from within.

He tried again.

The air between his hands trembled, and finally a small flame sparked to life. His face burst into a grin, elation flooding him. The flame flickered with his lapse in concentration and he swore, his eyes locking onto it again.

It shimmered and danced between his palms. Natsu honestly couldn't remember the last time he had needed this much focus to create a flame. Probably when he was still a hatchling, he mused to himself.

Suddenly, drowsiness washed over him, like having icey water tipped over his head. He swore again, watching how the flame dimmed and was abruptly snuffed out.

The Draconic groaned heavily, slumping back against the wall. He hated it when his magic power dwindled. His mind just couldn't wrap around why his supply was so low.

His hand reached upwards, only to snatch at thin air. He blinked suddenly, bewildered. 'what…?'

He straightened up again, whipping his head around frantically. He cursed himself for not noticing sooner. Especially when he'd already discovered bandages wrapped around his torn throat.

Had the blonde woman taken it? Maybe it had been strained or torn when she drank from him? His heart clenched at the thought. He whined softly.

Before he could further wonder where he may have lost his beloved scarf, a familiar scent caught his nose. A scent that probably shouldn't be here, Natsu found himself thinking, deciding in that moment that he must be hallucinating.

As the scent got nearer, his hallucination got stranger. He could almost _hear_ paw pads pattering along the stone floor. And then there was the long mewling, and claws scraping at the door.

The bewildered Draconic quirked an eyebrow. He shrugged to himself, and summoning what little magic power he had left, he felt the fire inside him bubble and spat a small fireball at the doorknob.

' _Now that was pathetic_ ' he mentally scolded himself. His fire had been successful though, the door swinging freely open as the metal latch melted away.

In a flash of blue fur, the cat launched himself into the room and leapt into the man's lap. 'Happy?!' He exclaimed, 'what the hell are you doing here?'

His question was answered with a self-satisfied purr, and then footsteps approaching down the hall at a brisk pace. He recognised her scent immediately, his eyes moving to the ajar door.

Happy meowed expectantly, shaking droplets of water from this fur. Natsu smiled apologetically, 'Sorry little buddy, I'm all outta magic to dry you off' and he truly was, he realised, unable to even summon warmth to his palms now.

There was a creak as the door was tentatively pushed open, the noise snatching the man's attention. He immediately saw the flush on her cheeks and how she quickly averted her eyes from his face. He felt his lips twitch into a smirk. She was definitely amusing. He'd never known anyone as easily flustered as she was.

He didn't want to scare her off again. So he decided to introduce himself. 'My name's Natsu,' he said to her, making sure to keep his voice low and calm, 'I didn't catch yours before.'

Her honey gold orbs slowly moved to regard him- Natsu. She felt herself beginning to relax, but she still hesitated, reluctant to divulge that information to him. She still feared that her new visitor would result in her being found.

Natsu sensed her hesitation. He felt as though he understood something about her already. She was afraid of something, or someone. He wanted to know more about her. So when he felt tiny claws kneading his arm, he tried a new approach.

'I see you've met Happy.' He said, gesturing to the blue cat. She glanced at said feline, the question falling from her lips on impulse, 'His name's Happy?'

Natsu grinned. 'Yep!'

'And he's your cat?'

'Yep!'

'Why is he called Happy?'

'it's 'cause I was happy when he hatched.' Natsu shrugged, as if that explained everything clearly.

Lucy blinked at him. 'He hatched?' She asked, incredulous.

'Well, yea, he's an Exceed.' the man deadpanned. Happy meowed loudly in agreement.

The blonde's expression softened. What an unusual pair. Perhaps she could trust him. After all, how many evil folk would name a cat 'Happy'?

She smiled softly, her decision made. 'My name is Lucy.' She told him. Natsu beamed at her then his expression suddenly turned mischievous, 'Nice to meet'cha Luigi!'

He burst into cackles at her vexed expression and found himself laughing even harder when she pouted at him. Even Happy made small snuffling mewls, that sounded uncannily like giggles.

Natsu's laughter died down to snickers and he wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. He turned his head, still grinning, towards the blonde stood glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

If he'd had any more magic in his reserves, he would have blown a wisp of flame at her. He was definitely going to have fun teasing her. Now that he was done laughing, he realised her scent was slightly different from before. The scent of lingering magic clung to her skin.

He met her gaze curiously and asked her 'Do you use magic?'

Her eyes widened fractionally, and for a moment he thought she wasn't going to answer him, before she quietly uttered 'I can't anymore.'

'You smell like magic though.' He told her, gesturing with his hand and disturbing the Exceed in his lap, 'did you try a spell?'

She shook her head, golden strands dancing in the light. Her heart was pounding beneath her breast. She surprised herself at how calm her voice came out when she spoke, 'No, nothing like that.' She sighed silently, 'I just had a visit from an old friend. I… don't think I'll be seeing them again though.'

Natsu listened intently, his curiosity burning. His mind was piecing some things together. Sure, Natsu could be a bit obtuse sometimes, but his instincts were sharp. His own magic was still sluggishly recovering since she bit him, barely even there. Now Lucy stood before him, smelling of magic, saying she couldn't use it.

He knew she felt regret for having attacked him. He spoke carefully. 'Lucy,' he began, 'did you drink away my magic?'

She stared at him for a long moment. ' _Yes_ ' she thought.

Instead, she began to gnaw on her lip, anxious of what he'd say, if he'd judge her. Natsu kept his gaze on her, taking her silence as the answer. Slowly, he nodded and his frown fell to the ground. His brows drew down into a frown, falling deep in thought.

Lucy, however, bit down worriedly on her lower lip, misreading his expression. She instantly winced, hissing in pain as her sharp fangs pierced the plump flesh. 'Sthit…' She muttered, raising her hand to dab at the blood.

The sound of chains pulling taut and a disgruntled yowl from a certain unseated Exceed snapped her attention. Her eyes landed on Natsu, who was glaring at the cuff around his wrist, and Happy, hissing at the man then trotting off.

Natsu tugged at the cuff again, growling when the metal chains clinked together. Oh, how he wished his magic was replenished! Maybe he could ask Lucy to bring him some fire to eat…

He whined in his throat, turning back to the blonde before him. She held one hand beneath her split lip, trying in vain to catch the blood and her tongue darted out to wipe over the cut. She repeated the motion, Natsu's onyx orbs fascinated with the movement.

Somewhere in the back of his head, he found it amusing that her fangs grew even when it was her own blood, but her eyes remained that stunning honey-gold even as she grimaced at the flavour.

She stepped towards him, reaching for his hand and he stood still as a rock when she mumbled something that he supposed was meant to be 'Dont move'. Her fingers moved nimbly and quickly unlatched the cuff, Natsu didn't hide his surprise that it didn't need a key.

He rubbed at his wrist, relieving the discomfort from having been constrained for so long. He grinned, 'Thanks, Luce!'

She half-smiled in return, still trying to stop the crimson liquid dribbling down her chin. He clicked his tongue. The scent of her blood was distressing to him. She seemed nice enough, after all, and he definitely had fun teasing her. His instincts screamed at him to hoard her just for her golden hair, and made it very difficult for him to ignore that she was injured.

She watched him questioningly when his hands slowly reached for her face, 'Nat'thu?' she whispered his name.

He brought one arm towards his mouth, ripping a length of the shirt sleeve with his teeth, 'Just hold still, Weirdo… Let me get that for ya'... ' He murmured. He rolled up the torn scrap clumsily, then, with a face of pure concentration, he gingerly wiped at her lip. He ignored the way she took a sharp breath, and the way it brought some colour to his cheeks.

She didn't move a muscle as he tended her, partly so he could work in peace and partly because she was in shock about the gentle treatment, having lived in isolation for so long now. She had missed having the company of others, and she realised then how much she longed for physical touches.

Her thoughts returned to the present, and she stifled laughter at the expression on the Draconic's face. Especially the way his tongue was sticking out. She burst out in giggles.

'What's so funny?' Natsu grumbled, although the corner of his mouth twitched upwards.

'S-sowwy!' She giggled, 'It'th jutht.. Your face!'

'What's wrong with my face?' He almost sounded hurt. Almost.

'You were thticking your tongue out'

He pouted, but she saw mischief shining in his eyes. With gentle movements, he pulled his hands away from her face. She immediately missed the warmth they radiated.

'There, stopped bleeding now.'

She blinked, having forgotten why exactly he had been wiping her lip to begin with and moved to graze her fingers over the tender injury. She saw how his pout morphed into a smirk, and he stuck his tongue out at her, deliberately this time, and blew a raspberry in her face.

He grinned, satisfied when she laughed. He gazed around the room, spotting the trail of wet paw prints leading out the door. He nudged her gently, pointing at the floor.

'Happy's taken himself for a walk.' He mused. Lucy opened her mouth to suggest going after him, but Natsu cut her off. 'Don't worry,' He shrugged, 'He'll have gone to find some fish.'

The blonde frowned, 'Fish?...' She gasped, a realisation hitting her and she groaned, 'Oh no, He'll probably go looking for Juvia! And i just got that pond smell out of his fur, too.'

Natsu snickered, 'He'll be fine.'

 **AN: Hello again! So, once again, my update was late. oops. My bad! Im almost moved in with Gary now, just a few more things and we're good! So, since my work hours are doing crap, i ought to have more time to write :) This one is a bit shorter again (sorry) but i made up for it with fluff. I hope you all enjoy reading, let me know what you think! As always, thank you all for your patience and reviews, and thanks to both my Betas, mannyegb and bmarvels !**

 _Review shoutouts! to_ _: ChaosreigN, darkvampirekisses, KatanaNoNeko, Anna5949, YunaYue_


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